Senior Year
by jessica510
Summary: Mindy and Tyra's baby sister Nico is a senior at East Dillon. Unlike her sisters she's a bookworm who isn't interested in football players but what happens when the newest Dillon Lion Hastings Ruckle takes an interest in her? Rated T for now
1. Chapter 1: The New Boy

Nico sat board at her desk tapping her pencil on her desk and starring at the clock. Fifteen minutes into Mr. Daniels AP U.S. History Class had felt like an hour, and it was also only the first day of school after summer break. It was the first day back at East Dillon High School and also the first day of Nico Collette's senior year of high school. Nico looked over at her best friend Jess who was busy trying to text on her cell phone under her desk.

"Ugh is there ever a moment when your not either texting Vince, talking about Vince, or spending time with Vince", Nico whispered to her which Jess just answered with a smile and a nauseating giggle. "Don't be jealous because your lonely and bitter", Jess playfully snapped back.

Even though Nico knew Jess was playing she could help but let the comment sting a little, it had been a three weeks since Alex, her boyfriend since she was a freshman had dumped her before he moved to Dallas to attend Rice University, the typical "We should see other people/ I don't want to be tied down/ Your three hours away/ still in high school" excuse. It had hurt like hell when he blew it off, he was her first boyfriend and her first everything and it seemed like she was never going to get over him, well, certaintly not anytime soon.

Just then Mr. Daniels interrupted her thoughts "Class we have a new student in class his name is Hastings", motioning to a tall boy in a beanie and vintage t-shirt, certaintly not a boy from Dillon where the common uniform was either a football jersey, plaid flannel, and cowboy boots.

"Hastings if you could please take the seat next to Ms. Collette in the back", as the teacher motioned towards the empty desk on the other side of Nico in the last row in the back of the class. The boy smirked and walked towards the desk with a slow saunter that suggested he was aware that every girl in class was staring at him, this caused Nico to roll her eyes and not give him look at the front of the class completely ignoring him.

Nico went back to daydreaming and doodling in her notebook when she's interrupted with a "Hey", from the new boy. Pissed at being interrupted from her wallowing in self pity over Alex, Nico turned to the new boy and muttered a tight lipped "Hey" right back. "I'm Hastings, what your name", he whispered with a soft smile giving her a not so discreet once over. "It's Nico", she replied avoiding his gaze and trying everything in her power not to grimace out loud, just her luck that she would have to sit next to the new guy who was obviously a player and total tool.

Finally, it was 11:20 and the unbearably long hour and fifteen minutes was over and Nico couldn't hurry to the front of the classroom fast enough before being stopped by Mr. Daniels right before she has her foot out the door. "Ms. Collette, may I have a word, you to Mr. Ruckles" Mr. Daniels asked just as Nico sighed loudly "Hastings Ruckle?" Nico thought to herself "what kind of name is that anyways?".

"Ms. Collette I was wondering if you could help Hastings here get settled in to East Dillon maybe give him some of your notes, and help him with a few of his first assignments for the class, since you're my best student and all" Mr. Daniels asked.

Nico didn't know what to feel angry or embarrassed or both but she definitely knew she wanted to shoot Mr. Daniels for making her seem like a teacher's pet and a loser. "Uhm I'm not sure if I have the time", Nico said starring down "Yeah that would be a great idea Mr. Daniels", Hastings replied with a smirk that made Nico want to disappear in thin air.

"Uhm okay sure I guess I can, yeah I'll help him out for a little while", Nico muttered still refusing to look at Hastings. "Thanks so much Ms. Collette you'll be helping us both out a lot, you are both free to go now" Mr. Daniels said. Nico couldn't rush out of the class fast enough and practically ran to the cafeteria to meet up with Jess and Vince and the rest of the annoyingly loud and obnoxious East Dillion Lions football team.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cafeteria Exchange

Nico hurried into the hot, overcrowded, and incredibly smelly East Dillon Cafeteria that looks a lot like the rec-room in One Flew Over's the Cuckoo Nest with it's depressing white stucco walls and fluorescent lighting, just like the Eastside of Dillon it was depressing and pathetic.

"Hey Nic over here" Nico heard Jess call out to her from the long table that was considered, by East Dillon standards, the cool table. Nico Collette, much like her sisters, was pretty, blonde, and tall, but if you asked Nico, but unlike all the rally girls and cheerleaders who wore tube tops, cowboy boots and mini skirts that were in style in 2004, Nico wears vintage dresses and tees she finds in shops in Austin, loves Hunter S. Thompson, and listens to Fiona Apple. By Dillon standards Nico Collete was a pretty, artsy, hippy that is universally misunderstood by her friends and family.

Except for her best friend Jess Merriweather, who up until this summer, felt the same about the Dillon Boys, no matter if there West or East, they were all dog. Then she started dating East Dillon's star quarterback Vince Howard and now Nico was thrust back into a world she avoided like the plague over at West Dillon, the football world, full of asshole jocks who think they part the red sea, desperate rally girls, and jealous girlfriends. Football was unavoidable, Nico had come to terms with that, but hopefully come this September, Nico would be off to NYU, far away from Dillon, Texas and even farther away from Dillon, Texas Football.

"Hey what did Mr. Daniels need to talk to you about?" Jess asks as Nico takes her fruit salad out of her bag and places it in front of her. "He just wants me to help out that new kid, like give him my notes and help with some assignments", Nico said with a groan. "That sucks dude but I guess it make sense since you are the best in the class" Jess replied with the same grin Hastings had on his face.

Just as Nico was going to reply, Hastings walks up to her and sits down next to her, which made Nico go completely silent and stare dumbly at him. "Hey" Hastings says again with the same sly grin as early before. "Uh hey", Nico replied back confused as to why he was sitting next to her.

"So you left class so fast I didn't have time to ask you when we could meet up, you know, so I can get those history notes", Hastings says to a still dumbfounded Nico. "Oh yeah sorry I just figured I'd give you my notes tomorrow in class and you could look them over and see what you need help with", Nico replied.

"That would work but Mr. Daniels gave me an assignment that's due tomorrow about the Louisiana Purchase, I didn't get that far at my old school so I was wondering if we could meet after school or whatever and you could help me?", says asHastings.

"Yeah that would be ok I guess, I have to baby sit my nephew after school you could meet me at sisters house if you want?" Nico replied to a nod from Hastings "Cool, I can be there around four is that alright?", He asked Nico who just nodded dumbly back. After giving him the address to Mindy and Billy's house, Hastings walked off leaving Nico a bit dumbfounded and confused. She didn't know what it was about the guy but he was unnerving, his blue eyes looked like they were seeing right through her.

"Wait Nic you know that guy, I heard coach has been looking to recruit him onto the team says the boy can jump and has real skill with the ball" Jess's boyfriend Vince ask. "Oh I don't know about all that we just met in class", Nico responded.

"You should ask him if he plays football get him to try out for coach" Jess offers. "Yeah we'll see" Nico says trying to appease them but having no desire what so ever to talk about football with a guy she's being forced to help out.


	3. Chapter 3: Babysitting

"Minds where's Stevie's pacifier at?" an extremely disgruntled Nico yells from the screaming infants room. "I don't know, try under the dresser, I don't know where Billy put it", Mindy Collette yells back from the bathroom where she's getting ready for her night shift at the landing strip.

"Ugh stop crying Stevie, please auntie needs to study", Nico pleads rocking little Stevie in her arms. "I found it, it was in the kitchen next to his bottle", says Mindy as she rushes into the nursery and puts into Stevie's mouth and just like that the red puffy and squealing baby is calm and sedated.

"So Billy's over at Buddy's bar playing cards with the boys he should be home at 11, I'll be home around one and call mom if you need anything ok", Mindy says "I know, don't worry Minds, but is it cool If I have someone over, I'm just helping him out with a project for history", Nico asks.

"Ooooh you're having a boy over, A boy who isn't Alex, is he cute?" Mindy asks with an amused look on her face. "Yeah it's a boy and yeah he's cute but I don't even know him and seems like an ass", Nico responds annoyed.

"Yeah, or whatever, just make sure if your gonna do anything, not on my bed and wait till Stevie is a sleep understand?" Mindy says smiling. "Eww Minds stop, and hurry up your gonna be late for work", Nico replies shooing Mindy out of the house.

After feeding Stevie and laying him down in his crib, Nico hears the doorbell rings and sighs. "Ugh let's hope this night ends fast Steve", Nico says to the already sleeping baby. With a kiss and turning on Stevie's nightlight, Nico makes her way to the front door where Hastings stands grinning.

"Hey" Nico says coolly as she opens the screen door and steps aside for him to enter. "Hey yourself" Hastings says still grinning as he walks to the kitchen and sits down at a barstool at the kitchen counter.

"So Hastings, what is the assignment Mr. Daniels gave you", Nico asks getting two waters out of the refrigerator and sitting down at the barstool next to Hastings. "An assignment on the Louisiana Purchase, just a thesis paper", Hastings replies.

"Oh cool, we just did that assignment it's super easy, all you really need to do is state your views and important dates, it's super easy" Nico says trying not to show how much she enjoyed the assignment. "Yeah, cool so can I get your notes I already have a thesis I just need to know what you guys covered", he replys with a grin.

For a while the two worked quietly, Nico studying for an English test and Hastings asking ever so often about her own views on the subject and to explain her notes a little better. The two also did a little talking and Nico was pleasantly surprised about how cultured Hastings was.

The two talk long after they finish working and find out they have a lot in common in terms of books, music, movies, and tv.

They also talk a little about their families, Nico tells Hastings about her older sister Tyra at University of Texas, and Mindy and her husband Billy, but leaves out the part about Mindy being a stripper and Billy's brother Tim being in prison. Hastings tells Nico about his parents working on oil rigs and how he's lived all over Texas and they never stay in one place too long. Nico realized she had never met a boy like Hastings, who was cute, smart and seemingly not an asshole.

When he tells her that, Nico can't help but feel a little sad for him. As much as Nico hates Dillon, with it's ignorance, intolerance, and unhealthy obsession with high school football, it was home and she couldn't ever imagine not growing up here.

"So Dillon is a little Football obsessed", Hastings says interruption her out of thoughts. "You have no idea, this town breaths football, even today one of the guys on the football team asked me about you, you've seemed to make quite an impression on the Dillon Lions", Nico teased playfully.

"Yeah that coach guy the one who looks permanently angry asked me if I wanted to try out for the team today", Hastings said "Already on your first day, are you gonna try out" Nico asked surprised at how interested she was in hearing his answer.

"I don't know I've never played before but who knows I might, even to just piss off my dad, he's the only man in Texas that hates football", Hastings says grinning, he's about to say something else to her when her brother in law Billy enters the house and into the kitchen where the two are sitting. "Hey Nic, hey Nic's friend, where's my little man at?", Billy asks while getting a beer out of the fridge.

"He's sleeping, I fed him a few hours ago", Nico says not realizing the time and that Hastings finished his paper an hour and a half ago and was still there. "Billy, this is my friend Hastings, he's new to East Dillon and I was just helping him out with some stuff", Nico says gesturing to Hastings.

"Oh cool you're the new guy they want for the football team, I'm gonna check on Stevie and hit the sack you two have a good night", Billy says awkwardly sensing he should the two of them alone.

…

"So I'll see you tomorrow at school right", Hastings asks has Nico walks him to the door. "Yeah for sure see you in Daniel's class and good luck with your paper", Nico says trying not to sound too much of a dork.

As Nico watches Hastings drive off she can't help but feel excited to see the "New Boy" at school tomorrow.


End file.
